CSUMB leaders participate in Seaside’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. march

By Walter Ryce

Rain never arrived to dampen the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march through Seaside on Monday afternoon, Jan. 15. 

Local organizations such as the Village Project, Community Partnership for Youth, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and local residents and elected officials showed up in great numbers to celebrate the 37th year of the federal holiday. 

Among them were members of the Cal State Monterey Bay community, including Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer Brian Corpening and President Vanya Quiñones. Da’ja Robinson, an administrative support coordinator for CSUMB’s Helen Rucker Center for Black Excellence, was there as a march co-organizer. 

The assembly gathered in the parking lot of the Monterey County Services building at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Noche Buena Street in the late morning. At noon, the masses of people were organized into a wide swath of marchers and led west down Broadway, south on Fremont Boulevard, and east on Hilby Avenue until arriving at Oldemeyer Center. 

There, hundreds of community members sat or stood to take in a program of speakers, performers, cultural rituals, poetry and more. 

Quiñones joined a number of local dignitaries — such as Village Project co-founder Mel Mason and Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby — who were given the opportunity to address the audience. She spoke about forces active in trying to disassemble King’s dream, and encouraged action to keep it alive and relevant. 

"A dream without knowing what you’re doing, without an action plan, without movement, is just a dream,” Quiñones said. “Cal State Monterey Bay wants to work with the community to make that plan and make progress. There is strength in all of us working together.” 

The program continued with more speakers including Pastor Artis Smith of New Hope Baptist Church and the Rev. Darrell Wesley of Redlands First United Methodist Church. Longtime local activist Ruthie Watts presented a birthday cake to celebrate the holiday before closing remarks and a final song completed the program.